Transcript Canada(Facts).

Canada
“The Facts”
LOCATION & GEOGRAPHY
• Canada is located on the North American Continent and occupies
nearly all of it north of the United States except for Alaska to the
west and a few small French islands.
• Topographically, Canada is divided into five regions.
1.) The Atlantic provinces which consist of rounded hills and rolling plains
as well as rugged coasts.
2.) The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence lowlands which consist of fertile low
lying plains and constitute the heartland of the population.
3.) The Canadian Shield which is an area of Precambrian rock with moss
covered, frozen subsoil and treeless plains in the north as well as thick
forests to the south.
4.) The interior plains which are unforested in the south and forested in the
north with large deposits of oil and potash.
5.) The Cordillera region which is the western strip of folded and faulted
mountains and plateaux. The country's highest point is Mount Logan at
5,951 metres (19,525 feet) which is located in the Yukon Territory
CLIMATE
• Canada has a continental climate which is
arctic in the north and maritime near the
west coast, while near the US border a
narrow strip has a temperate climate with
cold winters.
PEOPLE
• The population consists of either AngloCanadian or French-Canadian
descendants with 34% of the population of
British origin, 26% of French origin and
26% of other European origin. The
indigenous American Indian and Inuit
groups represent only 1.5% of the
population
DEMOGRAPHIC/VITAL
STATISTICS
• Density; 3 persons per sq km (7 persons per sq
mi) (1993).
• Urban-Rural; 76.6% urban, 23.4% rural (1991).
• Sex Distribution; 49.3% male, 50.7% female
(1991).
• Life Expectancy at Birth; 74.0 years male, 80.6
years female (1991).
• Age Breakdown; 21% under 15, 23% 15 to 29,
25% 30 to 44, 15% 45 to 59, 11% 60 to 74, 5%
75 and over (1991).
RELIGIONS
• Mostly Christians with 45% of the
population Roman Catholic while 36% are
either Anglican or of the United Church.
LANGUAGES
• The official languages are English and
French, although 61% of the population
speak English as their native language
while 24% speak French. The remainder
have a native tongue other than French or
English
EDUCATION
• Aged 25 or over and having attained: less
than and complete primary education
20.6%, secondary 35.0%, post
secondary/vocational 25.1%, university
19.3% (1986).
• Literacy; literate population aged 14 or
over 16,185,000 or 95.6% (1975).
CURRENCY
• The official currency is the Dollar (Can)
divided into 100 Cents.
MAIN TRADING PARTNERS
• Its main trading partners are the USA, the
EU and Japan.
MAIN PRIMARY PRODUCTS
• Asbestos, Cereals, Coal, Cobalt, Copper,
Dairy Products, Fish, Fruit and
Vegetables, Gold, Gypsum, Iron Ore,
Lead, linseed, Livestock, Nickel, Oil and
Natural Gas, Potash, Rape seed, Salt,
Silver, Sulfur, Timber, Titanium, Tobacco,
Uranium, Zinc.
MAJOR INDUSTRIES
• Agriculture, Aluminum, Cement,
Chemicals, Fertilizers, Food Processing,
Forestry, Hydroelectricity, Iron and Steel
Engineering, Mining, Oil and Gas Refining,
Paper and other Timber Products,
Telecommunications, Transport
Equipment.
MAIN EXPORTS
• Cereals, Chemicals, Coal, Crude Oil,
Foodstuffs, Machinery, Metal Ores, Motor
Vehicles, Natural Gas, Paper, Petroleum
Products, Timber, Wood Pulp.
MILITARY
• 70,500 (1995) total active duty personnel
with 28.8% army, 14.2% navy, 24.3% air
force and 32.7% not identified